Full Circle
by slipp
Summary: AU. Callie and Jude first came to the Fosters when they were 7 and 11 and spend 2 years with them, but were taken out suddenly. What happens when they reunited for the first time in 3 years when Callie is now 16 and Jude 12?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey all! I thought of this idea a while ago but didn't really have the energy to write it, so I hope you enjoy!**

"Hey, Lena. Thanks so much for coming on such short notice," Bill said, extending his arm out to the curly haired woman.

"Yea, of course," Lena replied, although she didn't sound too sure. She looked up at the large building surrounded by equally tall fencing.

Bill could sense the tension in Lena's voice. "She's in here for property damage. She's never had any problems before. She's never been violent," Bill began to reassure.

Lena just nodded as she followed the man towards the large gate. The buzzing sound pierced her ear drums, and she prepared herself for the young girl.

Her eyes widened as the face was much more familiar than she had anticipated.

"Callie?" Lena called, pushing past Bill as she sped up her pace.

Callie stopped in her tracks. She had to be imagining this. As she watched Lena get closer, she took a deep breath.

"Oh, Callie," Lena nearly cried out, now right in front of the young brunette.

Callie instinctively wrapped her arms around the slender woman, finally letting out the breath she had been holding. Her grip tightened as she felt Lena gently stroking the back of her hair.

The two pulled away and looked at each other, Bill watching at a distance, confused.

"I see you've met?" Bill finally called out.

The two let out a snicker. Callie thought back to three years ago, how happy her and Jude had been, before, again, the rug was pulled from under them. After the death of their mother and their father's incarceration, they had spent 3 years in foster system. They eventually reached the Foster's, and were on track to get adopted. That was until their previous social worker had gotten in contact with a very distant relative of the siblings, a great aunt from their mother's side. The two had been taken from the Foster's and sent to live with the strange woman in Sacramento, much to all of their dismay. They were surprised Bill didn't know this from her file, but both just assumed they didn't pay much attention.

"Yea," Lena began, wiping a stray tear from her face, "Callie and her brother were with us a few years ago, but there were family complications and they were taken from us. Jude, where is he?"

Callie looked at Bill for that answer. She had only spoken to Jude once since in juvie.

"He's still at the same home," Bill confirmed.

Lena saw as Callie's face stiffened with her posture.

"Is there any way we could see him? Get him back as well?" Lena questioned, wrapping her arm around Callie.

"I can look into it, but there isn't much that can be done until tomorrow. And Callie, you know you aren't allowed at the house," Bill reminded.

"I know, but-" Callie began before getting cut off.

"I'm sorry, Callie. I promise I will figure something out first thing tomorrow," Bill said.

Lena pulled Callie closer to her side.

"Thank you, Bill," Lena sighed.

"Of course. I'll be calling tomorrow. Are you guys all good to go?" He questioned.

Both nodded, and watched as the man walked back to his car.

Lena got in front of Callie, pulling the girl into another hug. The two stood like that for a few minutes, both still in shock of what had happened. Neither of them had anticipated seeing each other any time soon. Callie and Jude weren't permitted any contact with the Foster's when they were with their great aunt. She was a very strict woman; The first thing she had done when the siblings had gotten there was take away Callie's phone. Her very traditional and religious views caused a lot of problems. She didn't approve of Stef and Lena's relationship, and felt that she had to shield Callie and Jude from it. There were times Callie would sneak off with the house phone to try and call, but once she had been caught, their great aunt had changed the phone number and never let the phone out of her sight. It went on like this for almost a year and a half until she passed away suddenly from a heart attack, and the two were thrown back into the system, this time with a different social worker- Bill.

After what seemed like ages, the two pulled away. Lena cupped Callie's face in her hands, assessing the several injuries littering the girls pale face.

"What happened, baby? Are you okay?" Lena questioned quickly.

She brushed her fingers gently over the girl's cheek, causing Callie to wince slightly.

Lena apologized before kissing her on the side of the forehead.

"Mom is going to be so excited," Lena smiled, crying slightly at the wave of emotions she was feeling.

The word 'mom' echoed in Callie's head. She had grown comfortable calling both women 'mom' and 'mama', but it had been so many years since she had said it, let alone heard it.

They walked back to the car, Lena opening the door for Callie.

"New car?" Callie asked, as she looked around at the unfamiliar vehicle.

"Yea, the old one died on us on our way to Disneyland, actually," Lena chuckled.

Lena pulled out her phone as she buckled her seatbelt, quickly scanning her contacts for Stef's name. She hit the 'call' button, and held the phone up to her ear.

"HI, you've reached Stef. Sorry I can't get to the phone right now, but leave a message and I'll get back to you."

Lena sighed as she tried Mike.

She was met with his voicemail as well.

"Looks like we're taking a trip to the station," Lena said.

Callie flinched at the thought. After spending 4 months in juvie, the last thing she wanted was to be surrounded by more police officers.

Lena noticed the sudden nervousness that came across Callie, and she placed her hand on the girl's knee.

"I know I don't know what has happened these last 3 years, and I know I don't know what happened to land you here in juvie, but it's gonna be okay. Can you trust me?" Lena tried.

Callie nodded. She knew she could trust the woman, but these few years had contained a lot of pain, and a lot of fear.

The pair drove in a comfortable silence for the 30 minute drive to Stef's work. Callie gazed out the window, taking in the surroundings as they grew more familiar to her. They passed the beach they used to go to on their family weekends. They passed her favorite restaurant, a small café on the corner of a busy street. They passed her school, and wondered about everyone she had left behind there. Mariana, Jesus, and Brandon were all there now, and that thought had her both excited and nervous at the same time.

Soon enough, they arrived outside the ever familiar station. Callie began growing more anxious at the thought of seeing Stef, but was quickly pulled out of her thoughts as Lena opened the passenger door.

"You ready?" Lena asked.

Callie just nodded as she hopped out of the car. They walked into the building, the sound of papers shuffling and walkie talkies filled the air.

Lena looked around the room, her eyes landing on Stef's empty desk.

"Come on," Lena instructed, leading them towards the captain's office.

Lena knocked, waiting to open the door until she heard the "come in", even though she was growing impatient.

Captain Roberts smiled as she saw Lena, but her mouth fell open as she saw Callie follow.

"Oh my!" She said, standing up.

Captain Roberts was very familiar with Stef and the whole family, and had helped Stef go through losing both Jude and Callie.

Callie smiled slightly. She had met the woman several times at family parties, work gatherings, things like that.

"You have no idea how good it is to see you, Callie. What can I do for you guys?" She asked, placing her hand on Callie's shoulder.

"We just needed to get in touch with Stef for…obvious reasons but her and Mike went to voicemail," Lena explained.

"Of course! I'll call her right now! Gosh, she's going to be so happy," Captain Roberts said, pulling her phone up to her ear as she dialed for Stef.

Callie looked around the small office, hearing Captain Robert's words to Stef cut in and out.

"She and Mike were on their way back. She said they'll be back soon. I didn't want to tell her why you were here though, Lena. I wanted it to be a surprise," She smiled.

Lena smiled as well. "Thank you so much."

The three waited for nearly 10 minutes before they heard the door open behind them. Normally Stef would knock, but normally, Lena wasn't in her boss's office, and she was worried something had happened to one of their kids.

"Le-" Stef began, before her eyes landed on the brunette in the chair looking back at her.

Stef gasped. She prayed to whoever was listening that this was real.

"Callie," She breathed out so quietly it was nearly a whisper.

Callie looked at the blonde and smiled as all her nerves from before vanished. She couldn't get out of her chair fast enough, nearly knocking it down as she flew up. Her arms found their way around Stef's waist, squeezing her so tight she thought her top half would pop off. Stef didn't mind, though, as she quickly wrapped her arms around the teen she had missed so much.

Stef wasn't one to cry much. She rarely showed emotion, this was known to nearly everyone who knew her. The only time she would let herself be vulnerable was when it came to her children or her wife, this being no exception. Tears fell down her face as she held the girl tightly against her chest.

Callie let herself relax into Stef's arms, taking in the smell of her long blonde hair. The smell had comforted her on her worst days. She remembered all the times she would go to Stef when she was upset, and Stef would just hold her until she fell asleep. It wasn't long until she felt Lena wrap her arms around the both of them. Captain Robert's couldn't help but smile as she watched the reunion.

As they pulled away from each other, Stef looked at the girl, her heart breaking at the injuries just as Lena's did.

"My baby. Are you okay? What happened? God, I've missed you so much," Stef let out in one breath, her emotions clouding her mind.

Callie didn't want to talk about it. Not here at least, not now.

Stef, even though she had been separated from the young girl for so long, could still read her like a book.

"We can talk about it at home, okay? We'll talk about it at home," Stef assured, rubbing her hand on Callie's shoulder.

Stef looked at Captain Roberts with a pleading look.

"Go on home Foster. Catch up with your daughter," Captain Roberts said with no hesitation.

Stef nodded in appreciation.

"Come on, let's go. I want to bring you home," Stef said.

 **Thank you for reading! The next chapter is going to be just the 3 of them talking at home and Callie adjusting!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow! I'm blown away by the response to this. Someone asked if there was going to be any flashbacks and there definitely will be as the story progresses. Also, someone was confused about the ages. I just wanted to clarify that Callie and Jude were 7 and 11 when they FIRST arrived at the Adams Fosters, and had stayed there for almost 2 years. So it's 3 years from when they left making them the ages they are when they first come on the show. Sorry if that was confusing to anyone else!**

"I'm gonna go upstairs and change, then I'll be back down." Stef said as they walked through the front door.

Callie took a breath in. It smelled the same. Her eyes scanned the living room. They had gotten a new couch. She waited until Stef and Lena had gone upstairs before she walked into the kitchen. She touched the wooden table as she walked through before making her way into the living room. There were many nights spent in that room watching movies, playing games, laughing. Her eyes landed on the pictures on the mantle, surprised at one particular photo. It was of her and Jude on her 12th birthday, Jude on her back as they stood in the water at their favorite beach.

" _Moms, look at what me and Callie found!" Jude yelled._

 _He held the fairly large and brightly colored shell up in the air for them to see as Callie held him up on her back._

" _Wow, bud! Is that the whole thing?" Stef asked, the two women walking closer to the siblings._

" _Yup!" Jude replied proudly._

 _Lena took her phone out, telling both kids to smile before snapping the photo. Callie and Jude ran off into the water as Stef and Lena looked at the picture._

" _I love seeing them smile so big," Stef said._

" _Yea, me too," Lena agreed as Stef took ahold of her hand._

Callie's hand reached towards the frame. She remembered that day so clearly. It was her first birthday with them, and they did everything to make it everything she wanted. Her fingers ran over the frame. She couldn't believe they had left the photo up after all this time.

She looked at the rest of the pictures. There was one of Mariana and Jesus standing in the front yard. The last time Callie had seen them was when they were 12, and this photo had to be pretty recent. Callie smiled as she saw Mariana never lost her strong sense of fashion. She was surprised to see how bulky Jesus had gotten, though. He used to be a scrawny little kid who used to challenge her, and lose, to arm wrestling matches. There was one of the family at Mission Beach, somewhere they went before the start of each school year. Her heart hurt when she thought about how much she had missed out on. She knew time would go on without them, but it didn't sting any less. She wanted so badly to have been a part all these memories.

"Hey, sorry. I was just checking on you. You okay? I know this is a lot," Lena asked gently.

Callie swallowed and nodded as she brought her hand down to her side.

Stef was in the room not long after that, and the three of them sat down on the couch. Stef pushed a piece of hair out of Callie's face and put it behind her ear.

"My love, what happened to your face? Who did this?" Stef began.

"The other kids. They get jealous when other people get out so they…" Callie trailed off, looking off to the side.

Stef and Lena both sighed, not wanting to ask the next question.

"How did you end up in juvie?" Stef finally asked.

Callie took in a breath and licked her lips. She didn't know how to explain the whole situation to them. So much had happened in the span of 3 years. She knew they were surprised. Callie was never the type of kid you think would end up in juvie.

"I-I hit my foster brother's car with a bat and they called the police," Callie admitted.

"Why did you hit his car?" Lena asked gently, not wanting to make the young girl feel bad.

Tears filled Callie's eyes. She squeezed them shut to stop them from falling.

"Hey, it's okay. You can tell us," Lena assured, rubbing the girls arm.

"He did something…bad and I just…I don't know. I didn't think I would end up in juvie, I just thought we would be taken out," Callie started.

"Callie, what did he do? Did he hurt you?" Stef asked, anger showing in her voice.

"Stef". Lena chastised.

She knew Stef wasn't angry at Callie, rather the situation, but scaring her wasn't going to do anything.

Callie closed her eyes. She didn't know how to put into words what happened. She had just gotten back, and she didn't want to scare them away. Not with this. Not with Liam. After he did what he did, she had gone crazy. She was living in constant fear, so she did whatever she thought would get her and Jude out. She normally would never do anything like that, but she just couldn't be there anymore, surrounded by him and the memories.

"I don't want to talk about it," Callie said simply.

"That's okay. You can talk about it when you're ready," Lena comforted.

Callie nodded her head.

"Jude, though. Is he safe there?" Lena questioned.

"Jude is still there?" Stef asked.

Lena looked over at her and nodded.

"They never hurt him, or us really. He should be fine I just… I don't want him there," Callie answered.

"Well, Bill is gonna see what he can do tomorrow. We're going to get him back to us somehow, okay?" Lena replied.

"Now, what happened to your great aunt? How did you end up back in the system?" Stef inquired after the three sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments.

"Estelle died of a heart attack. We woke up one day and found her on the floor in the kitchen. That was about a year or something after we got there. We called the police and they brought Bill with them. I don't know why we got a new caseworker, though. He brought us back down south, though. We've been down here for the last 2 years," Callie explained.

Stef and Lena nodded, and before they could say anything, Callie began again.

"I'm sorry for not calling. Or looking for you guys. After Estelle caught me trying to call, she never let me see a phone. She checked the mail to make sure we didn't try to send you things. She didn't let us do anything. Once we had left it had been a year since we had talked and I just thought it was too late,"

"Honey, it was never too late. We've missed you this whole time. We've still considered ourselves to have 5 kids. But, I get it, with Estelle. She made a trip here once," Lena replied.

Callie looked up. She never knew Estelle had come.

"We had been giving your social worker your birthday and holiday cards so that he could pass them on to you guys. We didn't know if you guys ever got them, but we wanted to try. One day, I guess she got angry and brought them all to us and threatened to file for a restraining order if we didn't stop. I'm not sure how she found out where we lived," Stef explained after she saw the puzzled look on Callie's face.

"She never gave us any of the cards," Callie said with sadness.

Lena got up and walked into the kitchen, returning with a stack of 4 cards and handed them to Callie.

Callie opened the first one with her name on it. It was a card for her 13th birthday.

" _Happy 13_ _th_ _birthday, baby! We can't believe you're a teenager. We miss you guys so much, but no matter what just remember that no matter where you go, we are always in each other's hearts. We hope you have a beautiful day. We love you more than anything and can't wait until we can see you again. Make sure to give Jude a kiss from us. -Moms"_

Callie felt her eyes burning. She was so mad. Mad that Estelle kept it from her, mad that she got taken away from these people, mad that these 3 years were stolen from her. She wanted to scream. It just wasn't fair, none of it was ever fair.

Callie felt a hand moving up and down her back. She loved being back and had never felt luckier, but she couldn't help but feel so angry. Everything was so difficult.

"We would have done anything to have you guys back. I'm sorry Estelle kept you from us, but we never stopped loving you after all this time," Lena said after a long period of silence.

Callie sniffled. She was exhausted and frankly overwhelmed with all the emotions swirling through her head.

"We're just so glad you're back, okay? And we know a lot has happened since you've been gone, and I know a lot of those things are probably hard to talk about, but just know that whenever you're ready, we're gonna be here to listen. We can do this together, baby," Stef comforted.

Callie nodded again. She didn't feel like she would ever be ready to talk about all that had happened. She trusted them, of course, but she wanted to protect them.

Stef stood up and smoothed her pants with her hands. "Alright, we're gonna have to bring the bed back in from the garage and put it in your room. We're just going to have to move around a few of Mariana's things."

"Ha. I bet she's gonna be thrilled to share her room again after all this time," Callie smirked.

Stef let out a chuckle as well.

"I think she'll be very excited that you're back, yes?" Stef said with a wink.

With that, the 3 of them began on the task of moving around the dressers in Mariana's room. Once the space was made, they succeeded in getting the mattress upstairs, however, their attempt to get the rest of the bed upstairs was futile

"Let's wait for the boys to come home and I'll have Jesus and Brandon help with the rest," Stef suggested.

By this time, it wouldn't be long until the rest of the kids returned from school. Callie grew increasingly nervous as the time ticked away. She missed all of them so much, she just hoped they missed her the same.

Eventually, the front door creaked open and the voices of the kids flooded the room. Stef and Lena stood up and walked towards the door while Callie got up but stayed back. Mariana and Jesus stopped their bickering once they say the bed frame leaning by the stairs.

"Why is the bed in here?" Mariana quickly asked.

Stef and Lena were about to speak before Callie stepped into the room.

 **Thank you guys so much for reading! I have a lot of ideas and I'm so excited to write them.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! Thank you so much for the positive reviews! Just a warning, there is mention of rape in this chapter towards the end in case that triggers anyone. Hope you enjoy**

"No way," Jesus spoke first.

"Are you serious?" Mariana chimed in, looking back and forth between her moms and Callie.

Brandon had a smile from ear to ear.

Both women smiled as they watched their children's reactions.

After Callie and Jude had been removed, all 3 children had taken it really hard. Mariana was so happy to have a sister, and the two girls did almost everything together. They always got in trouble for being up too late, whispering and laughing about anything and everything. Brandon was trying to teach Jude piano. They would sit in the living room for hours playing "twinkle twinkle little star" and "ode to joy" until Jude could play it perfectly. Jesus and Callie used to play basketball out in the driveway, and Jesus would get mad whenever Callie beat him. Jude and Mariana would paint their nails together, always trying out new designs they saw online or in magazines. Brandon and Callie would but heads sometimes, but they couldn't deny they were best friends, even when they didn't want to admit it. They would do their homework together and had a lot of the same friends. When Callie and Jude left though, Mariana retreaded back into herself. Her and Callie were so close. They told each other everything, and when Mariana lost her confidant, she didn't know who to talk to. Jesus moped around, missing the two, but was always trying to make Mariana smile. Brandon wasn't taking it well at all. The day before they were taken, him and Callie had gotten into a fight. Callie had found out that Brandon had a crush on her best friend, and had confronted him about it. They both said things they regretted at the time, but never got to apologize to each other. Brandon felt like he had to be strong though, for his siblings and for his moms. Eventually, they had learned to live with their absence and began accepting the fact that they possibly wouldn't see them again until Callie was 18.

Mariana was first to run to Callie, swinging her arms around her. Mariana cried easily, so it wasn't a surprise that she was crying now. Callie laughed through a sniffle. She felt the same way about Mariana as Mariana felt about her. Mariana was the first person Callie would tell anything to. She knew everything about her and Jude's old foster homes, and vice versa.

"You're gonna ruin your makeup," Callie laughed.

Mariana looked up at Callie and smiled.

"What are you doing here?" Jesus asked.

"Well, thanks for the warm welcome," Callie scoffed.

"No, I just mean-you know," Jesus replied quickly and defensively.

"No, no. I know. I'm just kidding. It's a long story," Callie assured.

Callie extended her arm out towards Jesus with a smile.

Jesus looked unconvinced about something, but put his arm out to her anyways.

The rest of the family looked at the two of them with puzzled looks on their faces.

Jesus and Callie went on to do some sort of handshake, laughing throughout the whole thing.

"Man I can't believe you still remember that," Jesus said after they finished.

"I forgot all about that. You guys spent hours trying to perfect that thing," Brandon finally said.

Callie laughed and gave Brandon a hug. Both could remember the fight, even though it was dumb at the time. They both hated that the last things they had said to each other weren't good things, and Callie especially struggled because of what had happened with her mother. She was just glad that he wasn't gone forever and that they could finally be okay.

"I'm sorry for calling you a jealous bitch," Brandon laughed.

"Language!" Lena scolded.

"Yea you should be," Callie joked, "but, I'm sorry too."

All of the kids were so happy to see Callie, but the bruises on her face and an absent Jude posed a lot of questions.

"Alright, Callie, I want you go upstairs and get some of your stuff unpacked while we talk to the rest of you," Stef ordered, looking first at Callie then the remainder of the children.

Callie and the moms had decided beforehand that it would be easier if just Stef and Lena spoke to the children. Callie knew she would get too overwhelmed.

As Callie went upstairs, the rest of the family went into the living room. The kids sat on the couch as the moms sat in chairs in front of them.

"Okay," Stef began.

"What happened to her face?" Jesus asked before Stef could finish.

Stef sighed. "She got beat up in juvie."

"Juvie?!" The kids asked in unison, all equally surprised.

"Listen, we know this is a surprise but just let us explain," Lena replied.

"Callie and Jude were in a home a few months ago. Something happened to Callie, and she beat his car with a bat to try and get them pulled out. They called the police instead and she was arrested. That's also where Jude is right now, but their social worker is working to get him here too," Lena finished.

"Well, what happened to her?" Mariana questioned.

The moms sighed.

"We don't know, love," Stef answered.

"Well, didn't you ask?" Mariana continued.

"Of course we did, but she didn't want to talk about it. We can't force her to tell us," Lena explained.

"Well what about Jude? If something happened to Callie then what if something is happening to him?" Brandon asked next.

"Callie said that nothing had ever happened to her or Jude until whatever it was that happened. Believe me, neither of us feel comfortable with him there either, but Bill is doing what he can to figure this all out, we promise," Stef replied.

"Okay, but didn't they go to stay with their great aunt or something? Why were they in a foster home?" Jesus asked.

"Estelle died about a year after they got there," Lena disclosed.

"I know she couldn't talk to us when she was there but if she's been out of there for almost 2 years then why didn't she call? Why didn't she try to come back?" Mariana asked, the hurt evident in her voice.

"Hey, we know this is hard to understand, but Callie was just scared. She thought it would be too late, and I know we know that's not true, but she was struggling. We can't make her feel bad for this, you hear me? She was hurting just like we were. We know how complicated things can get," Stef said.

"Listen, I know we're all excited that she's back, and that hopefully Jude will be back too, but please, do not overwhelm her or try to force her to talk about things that could make her uncomfortable. We need to be there for her and support her, but we can't smother her, okay?" Lena instructed, placing her hand on Stef's knee.

The kids all nodded.

"Can I go upstairs? I just wanna talk to her," Mariana asked.

Stef and Lena nodded.

"Just remember what we said, yes?" Stef reminded.

Mariana nodded as she stood up and made her way towards the steps. She opened the door to her room but didn't see Callie anywhere. Her small suitcase was on the floor next to the mattress propped against the wall, but it didn't look like it had been touched yet.

"Callie?" She called.

She got no reply, but she heard noise coming from the bathroom. She walked quietly towards the door, opening it just slightly.

She saw Callie leaning against the counter looking into the mirror. She was crying.

"Callie?" Mariana said, quietly and gently.

Callie's head flew up.

"Hey, sorry," She said, wiping her cheeks.

Mariana shook her head and furrowed her brow. "Sorry for what?"

Callie shrugged her shoulders. "I don't even know."

She really didn't know what she was apologizing for.

"Well…are you okay?" Mariana asked, unsure of what to say.

"It's nothing. I'm fine," Callie lied.

Mariana knew her moms said not to push, but this just isn't how they were. They used to tell each other everything, and while it had been a long time, she knew she could still tell Callie anything. She just wanted her to feel the same.

"I know it's been a while, but you can still tell me anything. I just want you to know that. Whatever happened while you were at Estelle's or your other foster homes, you can tell me," Mariana tried.

"Yea, I know. I do. It's just… I don't know. Some things are just hard to talk about," Callie admitted.

Mariana nodded in agreement. "I get it. I just, I know how hard it is to keep in such a big secret."

Mariana thought about her current situation. About selling Jesus's pills and talking to Ana in general. Callie could see that Mariana was struggling with something too.

"Are _you_ okay?" Callie asked.

"Some things are just hard to talk about," Mariana said, agreeing with Callie's previous statement.

Callie took a deep breath. She did want to talk to Mariana. She wanted to tell her everything. She was the first person Callie wanted to go to after it had happened.

"Okay. So, we both spill," Callie suggested.

"Are you sure? I don't want to push you," Mariana said, expressing her concerns.

"Yea. Just please promise it stays between us, okay?" Callie said.

Mariana nodded quickly.

The two went into the bedroom, sitting cross legged on Mariana's bed as they faced each other.

"You first," Callie said.

Mariana sighed.

"I've been talking to Ana."

"Ana? Your birth mom?" Callie asked with surprise.

"Yea. I found her online. I told moms I wanted to talk to her and they were gonna plan a supervised visit. I don't know, I just didn't want that. So, I found her myself," Mariana continued.

"What happened?" Callie questioned.

"We met up for the first time a couple of weeks ago. We talked and it was good, but then she said she needed money, to get back on her feet. She's really trying and I want to help her I just, my allowance isn't enough," Mariana explained, "I stole some of Jesus's pills."

"Pills? Like his ADHD ones?" Callie asked.

Mariana nodded. "I know it's bad, I just, it's the only way I've been able to come up with enough money."

"But what about Jesus? Doesn't he need them?" Callie questioned further.

She didn't understand. She used to not want anything to do with Ana. They used to talk about her all the time when they were younger, about what had happened to her and Jesus when they were still with her.

"Yea, but he hasn't said anything to me about it. He doesn't know I've been talking to Ana, and you can't tell him," Mariana ordered.

"I won't, I just don't think you should be selling them. He needs them, and if the school finds out, your-well, moms," Callie practically begged.

"I just don't know how else to get the money. I just want her to get better. She's been trying-" Mariana said before Callie cut her off.

"Listen, I know that you just want to help her, and that's because you care so much about other people, but she can't just expect someone who isn't even 15 yet to have all this money. You have to be careful."

"What am I supposed to do? I can't just let her give up on herself," Mariana said with sadness.

"You don't have to let her. You can help her in other ways. You can bring her to a shelter or help her fill out job applications, but you can't just hand over all your money to her. You barely know her," Callie reminded.

"I just, I don't think she'll come unless I have actual money to give her," Mariana admitted.

"That's her loss, then. Just try it. If you meet up with her again, don't bring more than a couple of dollars for yourself. Tell her that you want to help her, you just can't afford to help her in that way. I'm sure she would understand," Callie comforted.

"Okay. I'm supposed to see her tomorrow," Mariana said, "I told her I'd bring her something from the house that she could sell, but I don't think I could do that to moms."

"Good. Don't, really. Bring her some job applications. That'll help more. I'll help you find some places, okay?" Callie offered.

Mariana nodded, and they sat in the quietness for a few moments.

"Okay, your turn," Mariana said, wanting the focus off of her.

Callie felt her heart clench. She hadn't told anyone, and the thought of doing it scared her more than anything.

"You still have to promise you won't tell. Not Jesus, not Brandon, not moms," Callie said.

"I won't. Just tell me," Mariana pleaded.

Callie took a deep breath in.

"So, before I went to juvie, Jude and I were in this home, the home he's still in. The house was nice and the parents were nice, and they had a son, Liam. We would hang out a lot, and he would always slip me notes and candy and would put his arm around me when his parents weren't around. I knew it wasn't allowed but I just wanted the attention or something. I'm not sure. But, anyways, one night we were home alone and he came into my room," Callie started, biting her lip as she got to the hard part.

Mariana took Callie's hand in hers.

"He told me he wanted to have sex. I told him no, but he didn't listen, or care," Callie continued, trying not to cry, "he took his shirt off first, then told me to take mine off. I didn't. I couldn't move, I was so scared. That made him really mad, and started pulling my clothes off anyways. I tried to get him off, but he was too strong. I started screaming and crying, but he wouldn't stop."

"Callie…" Mariana started.

"It hurt so bad. He smacked my head on the headboard and held my arms up so I couldn't get out. All I could do was close my eyes until he was done and then he just left me there. I didn't know what to do. I just went to sleep, I didn't even get dressed. The next day, Liam wouldn't stop taunting me. He'd whisper in my ear and wink at me. I just couldn't handle it so I grabbed a baseball bat and I smashed his car. I didn't think I would get arrested, I just thought that they would call Bill," Callie finished.

"D-did you tell the police? Or anyone?" Mariana asked.

"No. No one would believe me anyways," Callie said, looking at Mariana.

"Why don't you tell moms? They'll help you," Mariana suggested.

"No! Please, you promised you wouldn't tell them!" Callie said, getting worked up.

"I just think-" Mariana started

"Mariana, please. I don't want them to know, not yet," Callie begged.

"Just-why?" Mariana asked, trying to understand.

"I don't know. I just got back and I don't want them to be upset. Please, Mari. Don't tell them," Callie continued.

"I won't," Mariana said, dismay clear in her voice.

 **Sorry this cut off in a kind of weird spot. It was already long and I didn't want to make it any longer.**


	4. Chapter 4

Once Stef and Lena were finished talking to the kids and had moved the remainder of the bed upstairs, they started on dinner.

"I wish we had the stuff for chimichangas. Those are Callie's favorite," Lena said, chopping vegetables near the sink.

"I can stop by the store tomorrow," Stef offered as she dried a tomato before handing it to Lena.

Lena nodded without looking up.

"You okay, my love?" Stef asked, putting the towel down on the counter.

"Yea," Lena replied, looking up, "It's just…hard."

Stef put her hand on Lena's arm and gave her a look of sympathy.

"I was so worried when Bill called, and said that she was in juvie. When I saw it was Callie walking out of those gates, I was shocked," Lena continued.

"We all are," Stef assured.

"She looked so scared, Stef. When she saw it was me it was like all the life went back into her eyes. "I feel like we failed her," Lena admitted.

"I know. Me too," Stef agreed.

Both women had built up a lot of guilt over the years. They had promised Callie and Jude they weren't going to be pulled out and put with another foster family ever again, and they truly didn't think that would be the case. Not ever. They were beginning the adoption process. It came as a shock for everyone, and both moms could remember it like it was yesterday.

" _Kevin, what are you doing here?" Stef asked as she answered the door._

" _Sorry for the surprise, but I needed to talk about Callie and Jude," the man replied as he adjusted the briefcase he held in front of him._

" _Is everything okay?" Stef questioned further._

" _Can we sit down? You, Lena and me?" He asked._

 _Stef gestured for him to come in and led him into the kitchen. Lena was rummaging through mail, and looked up when she heard footsteps._

" _Kevin? Is everything okay?" She asked, putting the paper down on the island._

" _It's recently come to my attention that Callie and Jude have a living relative, a great aunt on their mom's side. When we reached her she expressed interest in taking them. You know CPS usually wants kids to be with their family," Kevin explained._

" _They don't even know her though. And does she even know anything about them? Can she do this?" Lena asked frantically._

" _I've tried talking to her, but she said she feels like they'd feel more in touch with their mother and family if she were to be taking care of them," Kevin continued._

" _Then why didn't she take them when they were first entered into the system? This doesn't make any sense," Stef said defensively._

" _I know this is complicated, but CPS wants to grant her custody," Kevin sighed._

" _Kevin, please. We want to adopt them-" Stef tried again._

" _I know. I've tried talking to them, but they're set on their decision. I'm really sorry," Kevin apologized._

" _Will we be able to see them? Talk to them?" Lena asked this time._

" _She lives up in Sacramento, I can talk to her though, see what she wants because it's really up to her," Kevin explained._

" _Well…when do they have to leave?" Stef asked._

" _She's coming down to get them Saturday," Kevin replied._

 _Both women looked at each other. That was only 3 days from now._

" _I'm really sorry about all of this. I know this has to be difficult," Kevin sympathized._

" _They're our kids, Kevin. Of course it's difficult," Stef spat._

" _Stef," Lena said._

" _I'm sorry. I'm just, I don't know. We need to talk to them, but call us if there are any changes," Stef replied, basically kicking Kevin out._

 _Lena walked him to the door and returned to the kitchen to see Stef sitting on the stool at the table._

" _This isn't fair Lena, it just isn't," Stef began._

" _I know it's not. I didn't even know they could do this," Lena agreed, thinking aloud as well._

" _Well, how do we tell them? They're going to be devastated," Stef said._

" _We have to tell them tonight. Give them time to process it," Lena replied._

 _Stef could feel tears in her eyes. She never thought she'd lose any of her children. Yea, they weren't dead, but they'd be hours away, and who knows if they'd be allowed to talk to them._

 _Lena sat down on the stool next to Stef and grabbed her hand in hers, allowing the both of them to cry before they talked to Callie and Jude._

Lena shook herself out of her thoughts. She didn't want to remember the day they left, she wanted to be happy that Callie and hopefully Jude were both back, but she couldn't help it.

"You know what the worst part is?" Lena said.

"Hmm?" Stef hummed.

"We have no idea who has had our kids these few years. We have no idea where they've lived, where they've gone to school, what has happened to them. We've been under the impression that they've been with this great aunt the whole time. At least we had an address for that," Lena said, sniffling as she looked at Stef.

"I know. I was thinking about that too. And I keep wondering about what happened to Callie for her to destroy someone's car like that. And then I think of Jude still there and I get sick to my stomach," Stef admitted.

"How do we do this?" Lena asked.

"We take it one day at a time, and love them through it," Stef said, squeezing Lena's hand in her own.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Once the two finished dinner, they called the kids downstairs. Callie and Mariana were first, neither of them saying anything. Lena and Stef looked at each other, but didn't want to ask. Jesus and Brandon followed, arguing about something.

"Come on, guys. Let's stop arguing at least until dinner is over," Lena instructed, motioning for them to hurry up and sit down.

Callie sat between Mariana and Lena, reaching to put salad on her plate. This was the first actual meal she would have in 4 months.

"How was school for you guys?" Lena asked as she passed the salad to Mariana.

"Fine," Jesus said between bites.

"Jesus, come on," Stef chastised,

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"B?" Stef encouraged.

"It was fine," Brandon replied, shrugging his shoulder.

"Thank you for this enriching conversation," Stef laughed with sarcasm.

"Am I gonna be able to go back to anchor beach?" Callie asked, looking up at her moms.

"I'm going to see what I can do on Monday, but I'm sure I can pull some strings. Me and you are going to need to go through your transcripts from the last few years so we can see what you need to take," Lena replied.

Callie simply nodded before digging her fork into the lasagna on her plate.

Dinner went on as Callie remembered. They all talked about their days as Callie listened on.

"We never told Callie about the Quince!" Mariana exclaimed, catching Callie's attention.

Callie looked over at Mariana with a questionable look.

"Moms are throwing me a quince, for our 15th birthday. You can be in my court," Mariana smiled.

" _What_ is a court," Callie asked, getting a small laugh out of Stef.

"Basically some girls and guys that I pick. You guys wear suits and gowns and we all do the waltz together," Mariana explained.

"Me-in a _gown. Dancing,"_ Callie laughed, "yea, I'll do it, but I can't promise I'll be any good."

"You'll do great! I'm so glad you get to be here for it," Mariana exclaimed, smiling from ear to ear.

"Yea, me too," Callie replied, and she was. She was happy to be a part of it. She had missed so much, and she was so happy she was here for something that was so important to Mariana.

"We're going to have to get you a dress soon. We can do it when we pick up Mariana's," Lena added.

The girls nodded before they went back to talking about the party. Mariana was telling her about the people in her court, when the name Talya was mentioned.

"Wait, your friends with Talya?" Callie asked, surprised.

"I mean, kinda? Her and Brandon are dating," Mariana explained.

Callie laughed and looked at Brandon. Talya was the friend they were fighting over before she had to leave. Talya was Callie's best friend at anchor beach, but and if she was being honest, she had been hoping Brandon and Talya would end up dating while she was gone.

"I can't believe you actually ended up together after all this time," Callie said.

"Yea, we can't either," Brandon laughed.

"How is she?" Callie wondered.

"She's good. We should all hangout this weekend. I told her you were back and she was really excited about it," Brandon replied before stuffing a mouthful of lasagna down his throat.

Callie smiled at the idea. She had thought about Talya a lot while she was gone, too. The thought of seeing her friends from school both excited and terrified her, though. If she could go back to anchor beach, that is.

The six of them finished their dinner, and Brandon and Mariana were put on dishes duty. Jesus ran up to his room to play video games while Stef and Lena had a glass of wine in the living room. Callie made her way upstairs, grabbing a towel to take a shower. She got undressed, tossing her clothes on the ground before going into the bathroom. She hung the towel up and turned the water as hot as it could get. This would be her first shower in months that wasn't freezing cold and less than 3 minutes long. She got in, letting the steam surround her. The water was hot on her back, making her skin visibly red. She didn't mind, though. She kind of liked the pain. It made her feel cleaner, as if she could burn everything away. Her mind wandered, to her conversation with Mariana earlier. She spent countless nights awake thinking about that night, and the thought of Liam possibly finding out where she was haunted her. Now, especially, because they would know that she is out when Bill went looking for Jude. She closed her eyes and rinsed her hair out one final time before getting out. She wiped the steam off of the mirror and looked at herself. Her cheek hurt to the touch, and her lip still had a large sore. She was taken out of her thoughts when she heard a knock on the door.

"You decent?" Stef yelled from the other side of the door.

Callie quickly wrapped the towel around body as she called out a "yes" in reply.

The door opened to reveal Stef holding a first-aid kit in her hand.

"I just wanted to check on your lip and the other scrapes. We didn't get a chance to earlier," Stef explained, placing the kit on the counter near the sink. "It's steamy in here," She remarked.

"Yea, I haven't really taken a hot shower in a while. I'm gonna get dressed then we can do it," Callie said before changing in her room.

Callie returned in a minute, wearing a pair of Mariana's pajamas. Stef smiled.

"Let me know if anything hurts, okay? I'm going to start on your lip first," Stef said before lifting Callie's chin.

Callie winced and squeezed her eyes shut as Stef's hand touched her cheek.

"I'm sorry, love. Just keep your head up about here and I'll just focus on your lip," Stef suggested.

Callie kept her head in place. It hurt, but it was bearable. She had felt worse.

"Alright, it looks good. Does anywhere else hurt that I need to know about?" Stef asked as she packed up the first-aid kit.

Callie shook her head. "Just my ribs kind of, but it's not like, an open wound or anything."

Stef nodded, giving Callie a kiss on the forehead.

"You calling it a night?" Stef asked.

"Yea. It's been a long day," Callie said with a loud breath.

"Yea, it definitely has been. You need anything before you go to sleep?" Stef inquired, tilting her head.

"No. I don't think so," Callie answered.

"Alright, well good night. I love you," Stef expressed, pulling the girl into a hug, careful of her ribs.

"I love you, too," Callie responded.

Stef smiled and was about to walk off before Callie called for her. She turned around, raising an eyebrow at the girl, urging her to talk.

"When Bill talks to the Olmsteads- our last foster family- about Jude, will they know where I am? I mean, will they find out from Bill?" Callie questioned.

Stef could sense that she was worried.

"I don't think he can disclose it, but I will call him first thing in the morning and tell him to make sure they don't. Are you sure you don't want to talk?" Stef asked, not comfortable with how scared Callie sounded.

Callie quickly shook her head. "No, I'm okay. I was just wondering."

Stef nodded and told her goodnight again before heading into her own room. Lena was folding laundry on the bed. Stef shut the door and sighed.

"Everything okay?" Lena asked, looking up from the t-shirt in her hands.

"No," Stef laughed with defeat.

Lena put the shirt down and went to Stef's side, gently rubbing up and down her arm. Stef relayed the events that had happened in the bathroom.

"She just sounded so scared. I hate not knowing what that guy did, what happened to her. I just wish she would talk to us about it. She knows she can tell us anything," Stef exasperated.

"She does, yes, but a lot has happened. I hate not knowing, too, but she's just scared. She will tell us when she can, you have to trust her with that," Lena assured.

"I'll just feel better when Jude is out of there. I don't want him around this family. Not if something so horrible happened that Callie had reacted in such a way," Stef said, running her fingers through her hair.

Lena gave Stef a kiss on the head before the two returned to the bed. Stef got herself ready for bed before laying down and pulling her laptop onto her legs. She knew she wouldn't be getting much sleep, and went to work googling the name "Olmstead".

 **Thank you so much for all the reviews. It makes my heart so happy**


	5. Chapter 5

Callie woke up around 9 the next morning, giving her nearly 13 hours of sleep. It was the first time in months she had gotten a good night's sleep. The smell of french toast and bacon filled the house. Callie smiled as she lifted the cover off of herself and stepped out of bed. She could hear voices from the kitchen, and it was obvious she was the last one awake.

"Morning, sweets," Stef said with a smile as Callie entered the kitchen, "how'd you sleep?"

"Great, actually," Callie replied.

"Good, I'm glad. You hungry?" Lena asked, already getting up to get Callie a plate.

Callie looked over and nodded.

"I can get it," Callie offered, reaching for the plate in Lena's hand.

"No, I got I got it. You sit down," Lena instructed, continuing to put slices of french toast on the plate.

Callie sat down next to Jesus, who was probably already on his second plate of food.

"You were practically dead when I came in the room. I missed your snoring," Mariana joked, sticking a piece of bacon in her mouth.

"Hey, it happens," Callie shrugged, accepting the jab at her subpar breathing at night.

Stef and Lena smiled at the interaction. It reminded them so much of what it used to be like before all of this happened.

"Hey, I'm sorry to like, get all serious, but have you talked to Bill yet? About Jude?" Callie asked as the laughing and joking simmered down.

"Uhh, yea we did, about an hour ago. Bill said that they weren't home and probably wouldn't be until late this afternoon, but he would be going over to talk to them as soon as they were back," Lena spoke, trying not to show that she was just as impatient.

Callie nodded. She just wanted to see him, make sure he was okay.

Once breakfast was finished, the house was back to being as chaotic as usual. With several teenagers running around getting ready for their own plans, it was rarely quiet.

Callie was walking through the hall to her room when she heard Brandon call her name. It wasn't coming from his room, but from Jesus's.

"Hey, what's up?" Callie asked, pushing her hair behind her ear.

"I was just talking to Talya earlier and thought we could all do something today. I mean, unless you have plans or something," Brandon suggested, quickly adding the last part, probably more as a courtesy than anything.

"I've been back for a day, so, no plans here. That sounds good, though. When?" Callie replied, leaning against the door frame.

"I'm not sure yet, closer to the afternoon, though. I'll let you know when we figure it out," Brandon answered.

As Callie was about to leave the room, the strong smell of cologne filled her nose. She knew that scent; It was the same one Liam wore. She could remember it from the night it happened. His whole body had smelled of it. She felt sick as her brain went into overdrive. She felt dizzy, like the whole room was just spinning around her as she just stood still. Her breathing became labored, her breaths getting shakier as the moments passed. She wanted to move but it was like her feet were glued to the ground. She could hear Brandon and Jesus calling her name, but it all came in muffled. She tried to respond, but nothing came out of her mouth in her sad attempt to open it. Her hands began shaking at her sides and a small tear fell out of her left eye and onto her cheek before she could stop it.

Both Brandon and Jesus didn't know what to do, because they didn't know what was wrong. Brandon quickly ran to his moms' room, hoping they would be in there. Without any thought, he swung the door open so hard it seemed like it could fall of the hinges, gaining the attention of both women.

"B, what's the matter?" Lena asked, looking up from the bed she was making.

"It's Callie. Something is wrong. We don't know what happened," Brandon explained.

"What do you mean?" Stef asked, emerging from the bathroom, her hair still damp from her shower.

"I don't know she was fine then she just froze. She won't move or say anything and she's crying," Brandon exasperated, urging them to move.

The women quickly made their way to Jesus's room. They saw Callie against the door. Her face was pale and her body was shaking so much it looked as if she were shivering.

"Callie, love?" Stef tried with no luck. The girl said nothing.

"You guys, downstairs for now," Stef ordered.

Brandon and Jesus said nothing and just went into the kitchen. Both women had their hands placed gently on Callie's back, leading her into the girls' room. They shut the door behind them, Lena running to grab a wet towel and a glass of water.

"Callie, baby? Can you hear me?" Stef tried again.

There was still no reply from Callie. She wanted to say something, but she was still so scared.

"She's having a panic attack," Lena finally said.

"Callie, it's me, Mama. And Mom. I know what you're feeling is scary, but it's not dangerous. We're right here. You're at home and you're safe and if you can, I want you to take a deep breath," Lena began, taking control of the situation.

Callie took a somewhat deep breath. It was shaky, but she did it.

"Good job, honey. Can you keep doing that for me?" Lena continued.

Callie worked really hard to keep on breathing and focusing, and eventually was able to calm herself down enough to unfreeze herself. She squeezed her eyes shut and felt them burn with more tears. She felt a hand on her cheek, wiping away whatever had fallen.

"What's wrong, baby? Huh?" Stef asked, tilting her head to the side.

Callie just shook her head.

It wasn't long until the three of them heard the door open, revealing Mariana.

"Miss Thing, it's okay, just please-" Stef began, but was cut off.

"Callie, are you okay? It's me, Mariana" Mariana attempted.

Callie opened her eyes and looked up at her sister.

"I know I promised not to tell, but you have to tell them. Please just tell them," Mariana begged.

Callie could feel her breath catch in her throat.

"Tell us what?" Lena questioned.

"What happened in her last foster home. What happened to get her in juvie," Mariana explained.

Callie's head was shaking again, but Mariana quickly ran to her side.

"Callie, please. I know you're scared. I am too, but, I can't help you all by myself. I'm sorry but I just can't. This is too big for only me and you," Mariana continued.

The mothers looked at each other with concern. What did Mariana know?

"I know you can do this. You have to," Mariana said.

Callie let out a shaky breath.

"The cologne," She said so quietly they almost missed it.

"What cologne? What about it?" Lena asked.

"Jesus sprayed a cologne…and it was the same kind that my foster brother had on when he-" Callie started, but stopped as she tried to figure out how to word this to them.

"When he what, love?" Stef asked, encouraging the girl to go on.

"My foster brother, Liam, he used to give me a lot of attention when I was there. He left me notes and candy and would sneak his arm around me when no one was looking. I knew it was wrong, but I didn't think I could tell him no. One night, we were home alone. He came in my room and he told me he wanted-that he wanted to have sex," Callie began as if she was ripping off the band-aid.

Stef felt her fists clench. She didn't like where this was going at all.

"What happened, Callie?" Stef asked.

"I told him no," Callie trembled, "but he said that he didn't care. He made me do it. He held me down and he forced me to. I didn't want it. I told him I didn't want it," Callie continued, violently shaking her head as she cried.

Stef could feel her blood boiling, and all Lena wanted to do was be sick.

"I didn't want to. I didn't want to," Callie kept repeating.

Mariana watched as Callie broke in front of her. This was so much different than when she had told her. She seemed so much more vulnerable and scared and hurt. She didn't know what to do.

"Oh, baby," Stef said, finally able to push the anger down just enough to keep it at bay.

Stef quickly pulled the girl into a tight hug. Stef rocked her back and forth as she whispered into her hair. Lena reached around from the other side, enveloping the brunette between them.

Stef looked up at Lena, knowing already that she would be crying. She then looked at Mariana, who looked so scared for her sister.

Callie was rarely like this. She had been this upset once, when talking about her and Jude's mom. None of the kids were there for that, either, and while Mariana knew all of her secrets, it was still a shock to see her like this.

The three released from their hug, and Callie began speaking again.

"The home was a good home. They never hurt us, we were always fed and taken care of. I just couldn't do it, not even for Jude. I know that sounds awful but I just couldn't," She said.

"It's not awful. You _were_ hurt, and for you to stay in that situation would have only given it the chance to get worse. Does Jude know what happened?"

Callie shook her head.

"Did you tell the police?" Stef asked.

Again, Callie shook her head.

"No one would have believed me anyways," She admitted.

"Well, we believe you. And we're going to get Jude out of there _tonight._ I don't care what it takes. I also have a friend at the DA's office who could help. We could get him behind bars," Stef explained.

Callie's eyes went wide. The thought of bringing this to court scared her. It had been 4 months. There was no way a judge was going to see it her way.

"Please. I don't want to go to court I just want Jude back," Callie pleaded, tears threatening to spill over onto her face.

"Love, I can't in good conscience leave him on the street. He's dangerous and he deserves to go away for what he did to you. He-he assaulted you and _violated_ you. I know it's scary, but please, at least think about it," Stef tried.

She was trying to stay calm, but Lena could see that it wouldn't be this way for long.

"We're proud of you for telling us. We're so sorry this happened to you, but you know that this isn't your fault, right?" Lena asked.

Callie hesitated. "I led him on. I shouldn't have done that I should have told him to stop when I knew that we were crossing the line."

"Callie, listen to me. You did not do _anything_ wrong. I don't know what he told you, but it doesn't matter. You told him no and he did it anyways. That's on him. You are not to blame yourself for any of this, you hear me?" Stef immediately said.

Callie sniffled and nodded.

"Mama and I need to call Bill and talk about some things. Mariana, stay close. Talk to each other," Stef said.

Both mothers bent down to hug each of their daughters before going into their room and shutting the door.

"I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him myself," Stef said, pacing the room.

"Stef," Lena chastised, but she knew it was no use. Stef was upset and so was she.

"How did this happen to her, Lena? Why did this happen to her?" Stef asked, looking up at Lena with tears in her eyes.

Lena shook her head. "I don't know, but it isn't fair."

Lena pulled Stef in and the two stood there for a few moments. Stef's head was spinning. Her body was shaking with anger and she wanted to call Bill.

She pulled out her phone once the two let go of each other, scrolling her contacts until his name popped up. The phone rang 3 times before Bill answered.

"Hello?"

"Bill, it's Stef," Stef replied quickly.

"The Olmstead's haven't called yet, if that's what you're wondering about," He went on.

"Well, you need to call them and tell them to get home now," Stef said, not caring if she sounded rude at this point.

"Stef, unless there's a direct threat I can't-" Bill started.

"Liam, the foster brother, he raped Callie. I don't care where they are or what they're doing, they're bringing my son back and I'm going to get him," Stef stated. She didn't want any time to be wasted.

"I'll call them right now," Bill said simply.

"I need the address. My partner and I are going to arrest Liam," Stef replied.

Lena looked at Stef, surprised. She didn't know what would happen once Stef got her hands on Liam, and she didn't want to find out.

Bill hesitated, but relayed the address for Stef to write down. They hung up and Stef grabbed her jacket as she went to call Mike.

"Stef, are you sure about this?" Lena asked, worried.

"I'm going. I'm looking this guy in the face and-and…I don't know, but I'm going," Stef answered, grabbing her gun and badge from the locked safe in their closet.

Once she got ahold of Mike, she practically ran down the stairs, forgetting the boys were still down there.

"Mom? What's going on? Where are you going?" Brandon fired question after question.

"I need to go take care of something, then I'm getting Jude. It's okay, just stay here and be good for Mama," Stef replied.

They didn't know what Callie wanted everyone to know, so she didn't expand on any details.

With her keys in hand, she walked out the door to meet Bill at the Olmstead house.

 **As always, thank you so much for the love and the support. I hope you've all had a wonderful day with the mothers in your life!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey! Sorry this took a while, I couldn't find time to write. I hope you all enjoy, though!**

Stef's hands gripped the steering wheel so tight her knuckles turned white. The whole 35 minute drive consisted of figuring out ways to get an arrest warrant on Liam. She arrived at the large house surrounded by a white picket fence. Mike pulled up behind her not too long afterwards. Stef got out of the car, practically running to his car.

"Mike, thank you," Stef said.

"Yea, no problem. I know you know we can't do anything but talk to him today," Mike reminded.

Stef sighed. "Yea, I know, but I'm going to talk to Victor at the DA's office too. But, it helps having you here at least to get Jude." 

The two walked up to the large house, seeing Bill and 4 others standing near the porch. She could see a young boy with brown hair, and Stef's heart stopped, knowing it was Jude.

Once they got closer, Jude turned to look behind him. He didn't know he would be seeing Stef, and his jaw dropped. Stef smiled, crouching down to his level as he ran to her. Their arms wrapped around each other, Stef surprised at how big he had gotten.

"Hi, baby," Stef finally said.

"What's going on?" Jude asked as he pulled away.

Stef licked her lips and put her arm on his shoulder. She didn't reply, but guided him towards the rest of the people. Her eyes landed on a tall blonde man. It had to be Liam, and she clenched her fists to stop her from saying something that could get her in trouble.

"This is crazy, Liam isn't a rapist!" The blonde woman yelled at Bill and Mike.

"We have to take these accusations very seriously, and we can't allow any foster children currently here to remain here if such an accusation is made," Bill explained.

"I just have to ask you some questions," Mike chimed in, looking towards Liam.

Stef eyed Mr. and Mrs. Olmstead who glared back at her. She then looked at the young girl standing next to Mr. Olmstead. She hadn't said anything, and she was fidgeting with her hands.

"Jude, you'll be going to the Fosters, Sarah, I have a placement for you not too far from here. Once you guys pack up, we'll be ready," Bill said.

Jude looked at Stef, his eyes getting wide.

"Go on and get your stuff, okay? We'll talk once you're done," Stef assured, pulling him in for a hug and before sending him inside and up the stairs.

Meanwhile, Mike and Liam were talking out of earshot.

"She's crazy. I didn't rape anyone," Liam began.

"We just have to follow up all allegations. Just tell me if you remember where you were July 19 of this year," Mike asked.

"Here, probably. Is that the day before Callie beat the shit out of my Jeep for no reason?" Liam questioned.

"Yes," Mike answered.

"Listen, I was here, but I didn't rape that girl. She went crazy and wrecked my car, spent time in jail and now she's mad," Liam scoffed.

Mike nodded before asking his next question.

"So there was no type of…relationship between the two of you? Other than friends or foster siblings?

"No, and I don't want to talk anymore without a lawyer," Liam replied, crossing his arms across his chest.

Liam walked off towards the house. Stef wanted so badly to reach her hands out and strangle him. Mike came back, briefing Stef on what happened.

"We need to talk to Callie, find out as much information as we can. If we don't find anything, he's gonna walk," Mike said.

Stef sighed, brushing her fingers through her hair.

"Stef, we're not gonna give up, okay? We'll figure something out. The bastard shouldn't get away with this, Callie deserves better," Mike continued.

Over the years, Mike had grown to love Callie and Jude just has he saw the twins. He watched as his son's family fell apart, and had tried to be there for them as best he could.

Stef was about to speak until Jude returned with his two duffel bags. It broke Stef's heart seeing how much he had lost.

"Hey, little man!" Mike called, opening his arms up to welcome the boy for a hug.

"Hi, Mike!" Jude smiled, giving the man a hug, before running back into Stef's arms.

Stef held Jude's head close to her chest, taking in the moment.

"What are you, like 5'3 now? You're gonna catch up to me soon," Stef joked.

Jude pulled away and flashed a smile before getting serious.

"Callie…is she-" Jude began, before Stef cut him off.

"She's at home, and she's been asking about you since the minute we picked her up," Stef smiled, cupping his face in her hands as his face lit up.

"Let's get you home, okay? We're gonna figure everything out as we go, but everyone is so excited to see you," Stef said.

They said goodbye to Mike, Stef saying she would call him later. The two walked to the car, but Stef stopped just as they got to the passenger side door. Stef put Jude out in front of her, looking him up and down.

"You're okay? Are you hurt at all?" Stef asked.

"I'm fine. They never hurt either of us, it was safe. We were out celebrating John's birthday. That's why we weren't here," Jude explained.

Stef nodded, patting Jude's shoulder before opening the door and motioning for him to get in. They drove off towards home, Stef's hand not leaving Jude's.

"What happened? Why did me and Sarah have to leave? I mean, I'm happy to be going back home, but I just don't get it," Jude said after moments of silence.

Stef swallowed. She didn't know what to tell him. She didn't know what Callie wanted him to know. She was so protective.

"We'll talk about it once we're at the house, okay? It'll be easier with Mama there too," Stef replied, looking over and squeezing his hand.

Jude looked back at Stef, contemplating whether or not to ask his next question.

"What's up, bud?" Stef asked, sensing his hesitation.

"What is rape?" Jude asked quietly.

Stef felt her breath catch in her throat. She was dreading this exact question.

"It's when someone forces someone else into having sex with them," She answered.

Jude was a smart kid, he caught onto things easily. However, Callie tried to shield him from a lot. The whole arrest had been confusing for him, and they didn't have much time for saying goodbye before she was put in juvie.

 _Jude ran outside when he heard the screaming and the banging. He watched as Callie picked up the bat and swung at the hood of the jeep over and over again._

" _CALLIE!" He screamed, but she didn't seem to hear him._

 _She shook her head as she continued hitting the car. It wasn't long until Liam and his parents were outside as well._

" _What the hell you crazy bitch!" Liam yelled, running towards his car._

" _Liam, be careful! John, call the police and Bill," Mrs. Olmstead ordered._

 _Jude's mind was all over the place. He heard the words 'police' and knew this wasn't going to end well. He watched as Liam shoved Callie away from the car, almost getting smacked by the bat himself. Callie landed on the ground, and Jude ran over to her and grabbed the bat out of her hand._

" _Callie, what are you doing?!" Jude yelled over her continued hysterics._

 _He didn't understand why she would be doing this. They never once hit them or neglected them._

" _Callie! Don't you hear me?" He tried again when there was no answer._

" _Jude, I'm sorry," She finally said._

" _Why are you doing this?" He asked, desperate for an explanation._

 _Callie shook her head. In the distance they heard sirens, causing Callie to swing her head up._

 _The rest seemed to happen so fast. The police arrived and Liam ran up to them, screaming about Callie then showing them his truck. They talked to Callie, but Callie didn't even say anything._

" _Callie? Callie, what's going to happen?" Jude asked as they handcuffed her._

" _I don't know, baby. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Callie rambled as she was put in the back of the police car._

Jude shook his head.

"Is that… is that why Callie hit Liam's truck?" Jude asked, looking back up.

"I'm sorry, baby," Stef replied.

She hated that he had to grow up so quickly.

The rest of the drive was silent as Jude took in what he had learned while also preparing himself for what was to come at the house. He was anxious, and he had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. As they pulled up to the house and Stef put the car in park, she turned to Jude.

"I'm just warning you, Callie was beat up in juvie. She's got bruises on her face. I just didn't want you to be surprised when you saw her, okay?" Stef explained.

Jude nodded. He was just itching to see her. Once they got out of the car, Jude couldn't get to the door, or Callie, fast enough.


	7. Chapter 7

Callie paced the living room, stopping often to look out the window towards the driveway. She rubbed her index finger up and down the bridge of her nose, something she had done as a nervous habit her whole life. Lena and Stef had picked up on it fairly quick, and Lena couldn't help but give a sad smile at the fact that she never grew out of it.

"Honey, just relax, okay? They'll be here sooner than you know it," Lena coaxed gently, reaching her arm out to the brunette to keep her from pacing back to the other side of the room.

Callie stopped and looked up at Lena for a second before staring back out the window. Her mind was racing. She hadn't seen him in 4 months and they had never in their lives been apart for that long. She had never told Jude the details, leaving him to wonder and be stuck in his own head this whole time. She was nervous for what he now knew about the situation and how she would explain it to him. Her chest began to hurt until she heard a car door slam. Instinctively, she ran to the front door, swinging it open so hard it could have been ripped off the hinges.

"Jude," Callie practically whimpered, pulling him in tightly, holding his head against her chest.

She pulled way, looking him up and down to assess that he was okay then continued hugging and kissing him on the top of his head.

"Callie, why didn't you tell me? We could have fixed it," Jude asked with confusion that broke Callie's heart.

He was so innocent despite their circumstances, and she didn't want that to change.

"I was scared," Callie answered honestly, "besides, the police wouldn't have believed me. There was no point in trying."

"Well, I believe you," Jude said.

Callie's eyes began burning. She pulled him back into her arms, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Thank you," She replied, her voice cracking.

Stef watched the two's reunion from the car, giving them their space. She waited until they had been silent a few minutes before walking towards them.

"Let's bring this inside, yes? See Mama," Stef instructed, gently guiding the two kids inside.

Lena was standing in the living room while the door opened, her eyes filling with tears as Jude came into her sight.

His eyes set on Lena and a smile beamed across his face as he ran towards her, basically crashing into her while wrapping his arms tightly around her waist.

"Gosh, you've gotten so big, baby. I've missed you so much," Lena cooed at the boy.

Jude looked up at her and smiled. Lena returned a smile before kissing his forehead.

Callie watched from the door. The two had always been close. When they had first arrived at the Fosters home all those years ago, Jude had been so quiet. He wouldn't talk to anyone but Callie for a long time, and neither Lena or Stef would force him to speak. Lena, however, would read to him every night before Callie would go in to say goodnight. Lena would urge him to choose any book he wanted and they would sit together as she read it aloud. Her gentle and soothing voice had always made Jude feel safe, and eventually he began speaking to the moms and the rest of the kids. Callie was always thankful for their patience with him, and watching how hard it was for him to leave them to live with Estelle broke her heart.

"Hey Jude, why don't you go upstairs and find the rest of the gang. They've missed you and can't wait to see you," Stef suggested.

Jude's eyes darted to Callie, who reluctantly nodded that it was okay. She knew this was just a way to get the three of them alone.

Jude ran up the stairs and the voices of the kids rang down the stairs. Stef placed her hand on Callie's back and led her to the couch. The three women sat down, Lena and Stef facing Callie.

"So, Mike talked to Liam, who of course denied everything. We are going to get an order of protection against him for both you and Jude, though, so I do not want you to worry about him even coming near you. However, in order for us to continue with the investigation, I do need to take you to the station and have you file an actual report," Stef began explaining.

Callie clenched her fists, digging her nails deep into her palms as she nodded.

"Is that something you think you can do today, my love?" Stef continued.

Callie looked up at the woman with a seemingly blank expression on her face. Her mind had so many different thoughts swirling around, and she felt as though she was going to be sick at any moment.

"What if they don't believe me? They're going to look at my file and-" Callie began before she was cut off.

"Honey, please do not worry about that. We take every case seriously. Your file is unnecessary in this, okay? They will not push this aside, I can promise you that," Stef tried assuring.

"Things don't work out for me," Callie stated simply.

The two women could feel their hearts sink as they processed the lost hope in their daughter's words. She had lost so much in her short life, and they hated how much had been stolen from her.

"We are going to do everything we can to get justice for you, I just need you to trust us, please," Stef continued.

Callie didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say. She wanted to trust them, and she did trust them, it was just the other people she didn't trust.

"There was another girl…at the house," Stef finally said.

Callie's head shot up.

"We want to talk to her, see if she can give us any sort of information. It wouldn't be unlikely that Liam is doing the same things to her as he did to you," Stef continued, "We just really need your report."

Callie nodded her head.

"When?" She asked.

"We can go now, if you'd like. You could get it over with and I could start with the order or protection," Stef replied.

Callie thought for a minute. Was she ready to do this right now?

"Can Jude come?" Callie finally asked.

"Of course," Stef assured, rubbing her hand up and down the girl's arm.

The four of them piled into the car, Stef and Lena interlocking their hands across the glove box. Callie sat in the middle of the back seat, holding Jude close to her side. The drive to the station wasn't long, but it felt like hours. Once they arrived, everyone except her got out of the car. It was like she was frozen in her spot just like she had felt just a few hours earlier. Stef looked back when she noticed Callie had yet to get out. She opened the door to the car and crawled in the seat where Jude was sitting and shutting the door so it was just the two of them.

"What's wrong, love?" Stef asked, brushing her fingers through Callie's brunette curls.

"I can't do this," Callie said, quickly shaking her head without looking to Stef, "I was stupid to think I could do this."

"Hey hey hey, you _can_ do this. I know you can," Stef tried.

"I'm scared," Callie croaked, looking to Stef with wide eyes.

"I know you are, but you're tough and you're strong. I will be with you the whole time. You don't have to be alone," Stef continued.

Callie felt Stef's gentle fingers running through the small tangles in her hair before they landed on her back, where she rubbed circles along her shoulder. She bit her lip until the metallic taste of blood reached her tongue. She stopped and took a deep breath before nodding that she was ready. Stef gave her a kiss on the forehead and Callie closed her eyes taking it in for a short moment. She followed her out of the car. Lena wrapped her arm around Callie and Jude's waists as the four of them walked into the station.

"Go over and sit by my desk, okay? I'm gonna go find someone to talk to," Stef instructed before walking in the opposite direction.

All three of them stood. Lena tried to urge Callie to sit, but it was no use. Callie's eyes scanned the desk. She was still surprised whenever she saw photos of her and Jude still around. She smiled at the one of her and Mariana laying on the wooden pier on one of their camping trips, their feet dangling into the water. Mariana was pointing at something above their heads as they both laughed.

"That was a fun trip, wasn't it?" Lena asked, noticing how long Callie's eyes had been staring at the photo.

"Wasn't that the trip that Jesus was swinging on the tire swing and it broke?" Jude asked.

"Yea," Lena laughed, "I think it was. His poor back was so red from smacking the water so hard."

The three laughed together at the memory. It wasn't long until Stef returned with another officer, a tall woman with dark hair.

"Callie, this is officer Clemmons. She's going to take your report," Stef introduced.

Callie nodded her head quickly.

"Jude and I will stay here," Lena said, putting her hands on Jude's shoulders.

Callie looked between Stef and Lena and Jude with wide eyes.

"The report has to be very detailed, we didn't think you would want Jude to hear it all," Stef explained.

Callie quickly turned and gave Jude a hug before following Stef and the officer to a room towards the back of the station.

She was led to a small room with a table in the center of it. It was cold.

The three women sat at the table, Stef sitting as close to Callie as possible while Officer Clemmons sat across from them.

"Well, I've gotta say it's great to meet you. Your mom here is always talking our ears off about all of you kids," Officer Clemmons began, bearing a large smile.

"Would I be a mom if I didn't talk about my children at every chance I could?" Stef joked.

This made Callie smile.

"Okay, what I need you to do is just explain to me what happened. Tell me everything you remember, and if you need to take a break at any point, just squeeze your moms hand and we can take a breather," She began.

Callie nodded as she felt Stef's hand take hold of hers. She pushed through, explaining every detail engrained in her memory. She didn't want to have to stop and start again. She explained the way he taunted her the next morning, something that made Stef's blood boil even more. She hated this man with every fiber of her being.

"You did great, Callie. We're gonna do everything we can to put him away, but I have to be honest, it may not be easy. Because it wasn't reported right when it happened and it has been 4 months, it could be hard to find the right evidence needed to arrest him. I don't want you to think that we are not going to try our hardest, though," Officer Clemmons said.

Callie knew it was a long shot. She knew this from the moment she told Stef and Lena, so she just nodded.

"Do you need anything else?" Stef asked, eager to get the girl home.

"Nope, I think we're good to go for now. You know how to reach me and vice versa, so I'll let you know if there's anything we need," Officer Clemmons replied.

Stef nodded, thanked her, and led Callie out of the room.

The four of them went home, and Callie and Jude disappeared up the stairs together. Stef and Lena sat down on the couch. Stef let out a heavy sigh.

"I hate this," She said.

"I know. Me too," Lena agreed.

There was a silence until Lena spoke.

"You said there was another girl there?"

Stef took a breath in and nodded.

"Yea, she looked about Mariana's age. She seemed so scared and uncomfortable. She's one of Bills kids, too."

"Do you think…" Lena began, but trailed off.

"I'm not sure. And I hate to say that I hope so but it's the only way I can think of that's going to get both of them the justice they deserve," Stef answered.

The two sat in silence after that, marking the beginning of the waiting game they were stuck playing.

 **Hello! I apologize for the delay, but I am back!**


	8. Chapter 8

Stef sat at her desk the next day, shuffling through paperwork that mostly consisted of parking tickets and speeding tickets. She found it hard to focus on much when she knew the investigation was underway and she wasn't allowed to be a part of it. She sighed, pushing the papers away from her and placing her head in her hands.

"Hey, Stef," a voice called, causing Stef to look up.

"Hey, Mike. What's up?" she asked, brushing her hair out of her face.

"We talked to Sarah today," Mike began.

Stef's eyes widened at the mention of Sarah's name. "Okay, and what happened? What did she say? Anything helpful?" The questions poured from her mouth.

"She's scared, but I think she wants to cooperate and help. She's coming in today with her new foster mom," Mike said.

"Did he… do it to her, too? Did she say?" Stef continued questioning.

"She didn't say much. I'm hoping she'll tell us more when she gets here," Mike explained.

"Well when will that be? I want to be there," Stef said, standing up and looking around.

"She said she was on her way a little while ago, but Stef, you and I both know you can't be in there. Roberts said you aren't on the case," Mike reminded, but he knew there was no use.

"Then I'll watch from the window. I can't just sit here all day when my daughter's case is being discussed. What if it were Brandon?" Stef asked, knowing that would help Mike understand.

"Listen, I get it. I'm not trying to keep you out of the loop, that would be like asking for death. Just let me ask the questions," Mike replied.

"No, I know. All I want is to be there," Stef assured.

It wasn't long until Sarah arrived at the station with her new foster mother, a younger woman with blonde hair. Stef eyed her, hoping she was a good person. There were too many bad foster parents in the broken system. The woman had her hand on Sarah's back as they walked towards an officer's desk. She could tell that the young girl was scared. Stef watched as Mike and Officer Clemmons led the two of them to the same room her and Callie were in just a couple days before. Stef followed behind them and stood by the glass window.

"How have you been, Sarah? I know this has probably been very stressful for you," Officer Clemmons asked with a gentle smile.

"I'm okay," Sarah answered softly, looking down at her hands on the table.

"That's good. We will try to make this whole thing as simple and quick as possible for you, okay?" Officer Clemmons responded with sincerity.

Sarah nodded her head and licked her lips.

"So, let's just start with how old you are," Officer Clemmons began, looking at the young girl in front of her as she pulled her pencil and pad of paper out and placed it onto the table.

"14, almost 15," Sarah answered.

Stef let out an audible gasp. She was younger than she had thought, and it made her sick thinking that she could have been taken advantage of.

"Okay, and how long were you at the Olmstead's house before you were removed?" Officer Clemmons continued.

"Only about a month and a half or so," Sarah said, her eyes still never looking up at anyone.

"And in that time, did you spend any time with Liam?"

Sarah looked visibly anxious. She never stopped playing with her hands, and her foot was now shaking quickly under the table. She would open her mouth, but words wouldn't come out.

"It's okay, take your time," Mike chimed in.

Stef stood with her hand situated a bit under her chin, her eyes never leaving Sarah. She paid close attention to her body language and overall demeanor. She had a feeling that whatever words were to come out of her mouth next were going to help their case along, again, making Stef feel guilty for being hopeful that they would.

Another brief moment of silence went by before Sarah spoke.

"We would hangout a lot. At first, I didn't think anything of it. I thought it was cool that someone older and cooler wanted to talk and spend time with me."

Officer Clemmons nodded her head and adjusted her position in the chair. She wrote down all that Sarah was saying, then looked up.

"You said at first you didn't think anything of it?" Officer Clemmons then asked.

Sarah licked her lips and blinked a few times, probably holding back a few tears in the whole process.

"I saw it as a friendship, maybe even like a brother and sister, but it wasn't like that for him. He would hold my hand and put his arm around me and kiss my cheek. He started to send me weird texts all the time," Sarah admitted, pushing her long brown hair behind her ear.

"What were the texts?" Officer Clemmons questioned, turning her head to the side.

Stef shifted her weight from one leg to the other, not moving her eyes.

"After he would give me a kiss or anything like that he would text me that it was our little secret. He would send me kissy faces and hearts and say that I was beautiful," Sarah explained, taking a shaky breath afterwards.

Stef noted the way the young girl got increasingly nervous as the time went on.

"Do you still have any of these texts on your phone?" Mike asked.

Sarah nodded and pulled her phone out of her pocket and placed it on the table unlocked. Officer Clemmons and Mike scrolled through a few of the texts, Mike's eyes landing on one in particular.

"What's this one about?"

Mike slid the phone across the table to Sarah, who looked down at the message. Stef was struggling to try and see, knowing there was no use.

Sarah read the message and looked up, catching Stef's attention. It was the first time she made any sort of eye contact during the whole ordeal.

Sarah looked around the room, looking back and forth from Mike to Officer Clemmons.

"Sarah, would it make you more comfortable if it was just us girls in here?" Officer Clemmons asked, sensing the embarrassment and nervousness in the girl.

Sarah nodded her head. Mike understood and nodded back before exiting the room. He turned the corner and was met with a very wound up Stef.

"What did the text say?" Stef asked in a whisper just loud enough for Mike to hear.

"It said 'I had fun last night, I hope you did too. I love our little secret."

 **Hello! Sorry this is kind of short, I needed it as more of a filler chapter. I know that Sarah is a lot more compliant in this version than on the show, but I did that for 2 reasons:**

 **I didn't want to drag this whole thing on because there are other storylines in season 1 that I wanted to explore with Callie and Jude more involved in the family. I would have to make it much longer if she wasn't cooperating**

 **In this story, Sarah hasn't been there very long yet so in my head she isn't as inclined to protect him.**

 **I hope you guys enjoy! Love you all with my whole heart!**


	9. Chapter 9

Sarah had admitted to Officer Clemmons that Liam did rape her the week prior. Stef hated so much that she was, in a way, happy about it. The girl was only 14.

Stef got in her car, anxious to get home to her family. She had only gone into work for a few hours, but she didn't like being away from Callie and Jude when they had only just gotten back. She drove in silence as she thought about the day's events. With two accusations and the texts on Sarah's phone, they were able to arrest Liam, and were going to do so as she left the station. Sarah's foster mother was going to take Sarah to a doctor to get her checked out as well.

Stef arrived home in record time. She made her way to the front door and opened it to see Jude and Brandon sitting together at the piano.

"I only remember a little bit," she heard Jude say.

"It's okay, it will come back to you. And if it doesn't, we can work to relearn it," Brandon encouraged, helping Jude position his fingers on the right keys.

Stef was so happy. This used to be such a normal sight to come home to, and she missed the sound of amateur piano playing filling the house.

"Hi, babies," Stef called, placing her keys and wallet in the bowl near the door.

Brandon and Jude turned their heads back to face the blonde.

"Hey," both said in unison.

Stef walked over to her sons, giving each one a kiss on top of their heads.

"I missed this," she said, her hand lingering on Jude's shoulder.

"I would sound better if I was able to practice while I was gone," Jude replied. He sounded so defeated.

"Hey, bubba, it's okay. You practice here like you did before and you'll be sounding good in no time," Stef assured, giving his shoulder a squeeze and planting an extra kiss on his head.

"Where are the rest of you hooligans?" Stef asked jokingly once she noticed it was rather empty downstairs.

"Mariana and Callie are upstairs in their room and Jesus was working out last I saw," Brandon said.

Stef nodded and headed upstairs. She knocked on Jesus's door and waited for a "come in" before entering. Jesus was putting his weights away in the closet.

"Hey, love," Stef said gently.

"Hey," Jesus said, still stuffing his workout equipment away.

"Just checking in. You've really been working out a lot lately," Stef said. Jesus had a growing interest in working out, but in recent weeks, he had been doing it much more often."

"He's trying to gain enough muscle to finally beat Callie in arm wrestling," Mariana teased from behind Stef.

"Oooohh," Stef laughed, looking between her kids.

Callie and Mariana were standing in the hallway laughing as Jesus made a face at them.

"Funny," was all he said.

"Hit the showers, son, before you stink up the whole house," Stef said, picking up a shirt off the ground and throwing it at the boy.

Jesus caught the shirt and tossed it on the bed as Stef turned to walk out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

"What are you ladies up to?" Stef asked.

"We were just going to get something to eat. When's dinner? We're starved," Mariana said, putting her weight on her right leg as she whined about dinner.

"Not sure, I'll have to talk to Mama but I'm sure you'll survive," Stef answered, pouting her lips at the girl.

Mariana rolled her eyes before turning towards the stairs.

"Hey, Cal? Can you come in me and mama's room for a second? I need to talk to you," Stef asked.

Callie knew it was going to be something about Liam. Mariana's eyes got wide as her mother asked to talk to her sister, though.

"It's okay, Miss Thang. Callie will meet you down there in a minute," Stef nodded, pulling Mariana in for a quick forehead kiss.

Mariana looked at Callie as if she was searching for approval to leave. Callie nodded at her and Mariana reluctantly went down the stairs to the kitchen. Stef guided Callie to her room, opening it to reveal Lena sitting on the bed on the computer.

"Hey, love. How was your day?" Stef called, removing her belt and gun to put it in the safe.

"It was fine, how was yours?" Lena asked, looking up from the screen.

Callie flinched at the sight of Stef's gun. She never felt in danger with them, not once, but she couldn't help but be uncomfortable. Stef noticed the change in Callie's face and immediately felt bad. She should know better.

"Hey, I'm sorry. Let me get this off and change before we talk," Stef tried.

Callie nodded and walked towards Lena, sitting on the foot of the bed. Lena sat up, closing the lap top and placing it on the nightstand before placing her hand on Callie's back in an effort to relax the young girl. Stef quickly changed out of her uniform, pulling on a pair of comfortable jeans and a t shirt. She pulled her hair out of the tight bun it was in and double checked that her safe was locked before joining her wife and daughter. Stef sat in the chair next to Lena's side.

"So, we talked to Sarah today," Stef began, cutting to the chase. She knew if she didn't, Callie would just grow nervous.

Lena's posture straightened, but her hand never left Callie's back as she rubbed it gently.

Callie nodded, her hands clenching at her sides.

"What happened?" Lena prompted Stef to continue.

"She admitted to Officer Clemmons that Liam…that Liam raped her, too," Stef explained, leaning her head to the left.

Callie looked into Stef's eyes. They were gentle and soft.

"Sarah had some texts on her phone, from Liam. They used those to arrest him and Sarah was on her way to the hospital last I heard," Stef continued.

Callie dug her finger nails into her forearm as Stef spoke. She nodded her head, though, to show she was listening.

"I know this is a lot, but I just wanted to make sure you were aware of all that was happening. You deserve that, at least," Stef added after Callie's small nod.

Callie digging her nails into her arm did not go unnoticed by either mom, but now wasn't the time to address it.

"Is that all?" She asked, eager to get up and out of the room.

Callie appreciated Stef keeping her in the loop. It was what she wanted, but she didn't have much to say about it right now.

Stef nodded before giving her a kiss on the head, lingering for a minute. Lena kissed her forehead before Callie got up and left to meet Mariana in the kitchen. Once the door was shut, Stef and Lena looked at each other.

"You saw that, right?" Stef asked.

"Yea, it's not the first time, either. She seems to do something like that every time we talk about something stressful," Lena expressed with a sigh, tying her hair above her head.

Stef nodded in agreement.

"What do we do?" Stef questioned aloud.

"We'll talk to her about it later tonight, maybe after we look at hers and Jude's transcripts," Lena suggested, grabbing Stef's hand in hers.

The seven of them sat down for dinner. Lena had made Jude's favorite tonight, chicken parmesan. They all sat and enjoyed each other's company as they ate, telling stories and reliving old memories together. It was originally supposed to be the moms' night for dishes, but Jesus and Mariana offered to do them so they could sort through the transcripts before school tomorrow.

The four of them sat in the living room, paperwork sprawled across the coffee table. Lena sat with the computer on her lap. She planned to map out what classes were already taken and what needed to be taken in order to have it all in one place.

"Okay, so it looks like you've been to…3 schools since you've been gone?" Lena said, rummaging through the papers in front of her.

"Yea, Bill tried to keep us in the area when we were moved around so we wouldn't have to switch as much," Callie explained.

Lena nodded as Stef adjusted her glasses and picked up a piece of paper from Jude's file.

"Okay, well for you, Callie, juniors at anchor beach have usually already completed algebra 1 and 2, English 1 and 2, biology and chemistry, geography and world history. Junior year requires geometry, physics, US history, and either English 3 or AP English 3," Lena began explaining.

"I've taken US history already. I took it last year. I never took a geography class though, or a chemistry class, but I did take physics," Callie said, looking up.

Lena nodded, typing the information on the computer.

"I'm sure we could squeeze you into what you've missed. Those are typically sophomore classes with the exception of transfer students so it shouldn't be a big deal. It looks like you've taken everything else though," Lena said, scanning over the files.

Callie nodded.

"Once we figure everything out, I'll try to enroll you in what looks like geometry, chemistry, geography, and English 3," Lena continued typing.

"Now, Jude, yours shouldn't be too complicated. Have you taken pre-algebra?" Lena moved on.

"I started it at one school, but the next school didn't have it for 7th grade so I never finished," Jude explained.

Lena nodded, flipping through papers.

"That looks like the only conflict we would have, but even then, I don't think it's much of an issue," Lena concluded as her fingers moved swiftly on the keyboard.

The entire ordeal didn't take much time, maybe 45 minutes tops. The moms noticed then that they had been in 4 foster homes since Estelle's house, and who knows what happened in those homes.

As the two kids got up to leave, Stef and Lena asked Callie to hang back for a second.

"What's up?" She asked casually.

Stef grabbed Callie's arm gently, noticing the faint nail marks left behind from earlier. Callie could feel her heart begin to beat faster than normal.

"What's going on here, Cal?" Stef asked, urging Callie to sit back down as both moms sat on each side of her.

Callie didn't say anything. She never meant to do these things. Usually nobody noticed, anyways.

"We're not angry, love," Stef added after the extended silence left by the girl.

"I don't mean to do it," Callie admitted, "It just happens and I don't even realize it half the time."

Lena took a breath before replying. "It seems like you do it when you're stressed or overwhelmed, which you have been lately, understandably. I think you do it as a means to focus on something else other than what is causing you to feel that way."

Callie listened as Lena spoke, and it did make sense. She nodded.

"We just want you to learn other ways to cope that aren't self-destructive, even if it's not intentional. We'll figure this out together though, okay? We love you," Stef said, wrapping her arms around Callie.

Callie allowed the 4 arms to wrap around her, closing her eyes and embracing the moment.


End file.
